Damballah Wedo

The great Sky Father, married to the primal Erzulie and paired with Ayida Wedo, the Rainbow Serpent, Damballah personifies the primary foundational precepts of Vodou. His true color is snow white , like the linen in which Hounsi dress for service. The magicval sphere of white is suspended above his horse in possession, to afford him privacy and benediction. So pure and beneficent is Damballah, that he needs no offering other than a basin of pure water and a pure white egg on a mound of white flour. I like to think of him as the original astronomer or astrologer. He has perfect knowledge of the heavens, having learned of the this from the African tradition called NA-Go Oyyo. In synthesis, he personifies fire and water - fire for his serpent powers of regeneration and creation, water, for his deep knowledge or konnisance of the world and it's peoples.

I have seen him syncretized with St. Patrick (because of the snakes in the chromolithograph) and with Moses, for the knowledge of the Ten Commandments. As the supreme Rada diety,he is associated with rain, wisdom and fecundity.

I keep pakets for Damballah on my Rada altar, near Erzulie Freda's, as he is one of her three husbands. In the ever dizzying set of relationships that make up the theology of Vodou, Damballah is often paired with Ayida, but is married to Freda. I serve Damballah with white anisette, white eggs on white flour or corn meal and white snake skins.